This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from the prior Japanese Patent Application No. 2001-367247, filed Nov. 30, 2001, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic apparatus, such as a portable computer comprising a sub display unit to display, for example, the receipt status of electronic mail and titles during the reproduction of sounds from compact disks (xe2x80x9cCDsxe2x80x9d), for example music CDs.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, multifunctional portable computers in which a CD-ROM drive and a speaker box are mounted have come into widespread use. With such portable computers it is possible to enjoy high-quality sounds by outputting reproduced sound from television and CDs.
Portable computers of this type typically comprise a computer main body having a keyboard, a display unit rotatably supported by the computer main body, and a sub display unit built in the computer main body. The sub display unit has an elongated display panel. The display panel displays, for example, the receipt status of electronic mail, titles (for example, music titles) during the reproduction of sounds from CDs or application names and/or icons that are currently running or are available to be run.
A portable computer having a mini status display screen is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,073,187. The mini status display screen displays a secondary operational mode of a computer system such as a mode for playing audio CDs in a CD-ROM drive independent of an operating system.
In the case of a portable computer, the miniaturization and weight reduction of the computer main body have been pursued for the convenience of portability. For this reason, the sub display unit is fixed to the computer main body for reasons of limited space and the display panel is exposed at the top surface of the computer main body. Therefore, the operator can see the information displayed on the display panel while operating the portable computer.
In general, a portable computer is often horizontally placed at a suitable distance from the operator of the computer so that the display unit is at a level lower than the height of the eyes of the operator. For this reason, during the use of the computer, the operator""s line of sight is directed slantingly downward so that the operator can look down the computer main body.
However, in a case where, for example, a computer is operated with the computer main body placed on the top of a desk, the height of the top of the desk is diverse and, therefore, the direction of a display panel of the sub display unit with respect to the operator""s line of sight changes depending on the installation height of the computer main body. Furthermore, when one portable computer is shared by several persons, the direction of the display panel differs according to the operator""s body height and, in particular, sitting height.
Therefore, in a conventional portable computer having a display panel whose direction is fixedly determined, the relationship between the direction of the display panel and the operator""s line of sight may become unsuitable. As a result, to see information displayed on the display panel, the operator is forced to change his or her posture so as to peer into the display panel, thus inconveniencing the operator.
Embodiments of the invention provide an electronic apparatus which can improve the visibility of a sub display unit and enables information displayed on this sub display unit to be easily seen.
An electronic apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention comprises a main body and a display unit supported by the main body. The display unit has a relatively small display panel which may display no more than 5 lines of information, including text and symbols. The display unit may be adjusted between a range of inclination angles with respect to the main body.
According to one embodiment, the display unit is maintained at a constant angle of inclination with respect to a vertical direction by including a weight in the display unit.
According to other embodiments, an electronic apparatus comprises a surface having an opening therein and a display unit provided in the opening. The display unit has a relatively small display panel which displays no more than 5 lines of information, including text and symbols. The display unit may be adjusted between a range of inclination angles with respect to the surface.
According to still other embodiments, a portable computer comprises a computer main body having a keyboard and a display unit supported by the main body. The display unit is rotatable between a closed position, in which the display unit covers the keyboard, and an opened position, in which the display unit exposes the keyboard. The portable computer further includes a sub display unit, separate and distinct from the display unit, the sub display unit being supported by the main body and having a back surface and a front surface, the front surface having a display panel which displays information, including text and symbols. The sub display unit may be adjusted between a range of inclination angles with respect to the main body.
According to yet other embodiments, an electronic apparatus comprises a main body having a keyboard, a display unit supported by the main body and a sub display unit provided in the main body. The display unit can rotate between a closed position, in which the display unit covers the keyboard, and an opened position, in which the display unit exposes the keyboard. The sub display unit has a display panel which displays information, and the inclination angle of the sub display unit with respect to the main body can be adjusted through an adjustment mechanism.
According to this feature, the inclination angle of the sub display unit can be freely adjusted to suit the preferences of the operator. Therefore, it is possible to keep a suitable relationship between the operator""s line of sight and the direction of the display panel and, therefore, the display panel is easily seen. Accordingly, the operator can see information displayed on the display panel without changing his or her direction of line of sight.
Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The features and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out hereinafter.